Google on Tuesday opened its first local office in Pakistan, marking a major expansion of the technology giant’s presence in the South Asian country.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formally inaugurated the office in Islamabad, describing the development as a major milestone in Pakistan’s digital transformation and its partnership with Google.

“It’s a wonderful day, a great day in our partnership,” Shehbaz said at the inauguration ceremony, adding that the collaboration would help empower Pakistani youth through modern tools and technology.

According to Arab News, Google has been investing in Pakistan for more than a decade. Vice President for Government Affairs and Public Policy Wilson White said the company’s local presence would strengthen its support for Pakistan’s technology sector.

White said Google had contributed more than Rs3.9 trillion to economic activity involving Pakistani businesses and households over the past 10 years, supporting more than 960,000 jobs.

He said Google would continue investing in Pakistani people, local businesses, and manufacturing and infrastructure related to hardware exports.

The company has also helped more than one million Pakistanis develop digital skills through career certificates and programmes involving schools and teachers, Geo News reported.

White also announced that Google would provide free one-year subscriptions to Google Gemini to all students in Pakistan.

The new office is expected to expand Google’s programmes and partnerships in Pakistan’s digital and technology sectors